A Christmas Present

P am screamed again.

Reva whirled around to run.

Her foot twisted, and she lurched sideways.

“You have to die!” Grant shouted.

She heard his hoarse breathing.

Then she felt his breath on her neck.

Felt his fingers brush her back.

He’ll get me! her mind shrieked as she tried to gain her balance. He’ll kill me!

As Grant’s hand grabbed her shoulder, Reva screamed.

And then Grant seemed to stumble. His hand slid away, and Reva heard a loud thump.

“Reva!” Pam shouted. “Help me—quick!”

Her heart racing, Reva spun back around.

Grant lay facedown on the stage floor. Caught under his legs was a long green scarf. Pam had wrapped it around his ankles and tripped him.

Gasping in fear, Pam grabbed the ends of the scarf and hurried to tighten them around his ankles.

Grant lifted his head from the floor and shook it. He seemed slightly dazed from the fall. But then he got his arms underneath him and started to heave himself up.

With a scream, Pam shoved him down. “Help me, Reva!” she shouted again, struggling to wrap the scarf tighter as Grant kicked and struggled. “I need to tie his ankles! Help me or he’ll get away!”

Grant raised himself on one arm and swung back viciously with the other. His fist almost collided with Pam’s jaw.

Reva stepped over to him and kicked Grant’s arm out from under him. He hit the floor hard. Before he could move again, Reva planted her foot on the back of his neck and pushed down.

“I wouldn’t try to get up, Grant,” she told him. She pressed down harder with her black platform shoe. “If you do, I’ll put all my weight on your neck. That’s a promise.”

Reva pushed again, harder.

Grant stayed down, breathing hard.

Pam quickly finished wrapping the scarf and tying it into a tight knot. Then she raced to the side door and shouted for the store guards.

As she hurried back to Reva, she suddenly stopped. “Reva, look! Ellie is moving!”

Reva’s gaze snapped to Ellie. The red-haired model’s head turned slowly back and forth, and she let out a soft groan.

Pam dropped down next to her. “I can’t believe it!” she exclaimed, gently unwrapping the red scarf from Ellie’s neck. “I thought for sure she was dead!”

“She probably would be if you hadn’t come in here,” Reva told her. “You saved her life.” She paused. “Mine, too. Thanks, Pam.”

Before Pam could respond, two uniformed store guards rushed in. Reva took her foot off Grant’s neck and breathed a sigh of relief.

The horror was finally over.

• • •

“Haiee-yahh!”

Michael chopped the air with his hands. He spun around and planted a kick on the back of the living room couch.

The couch shuddered and slid forward about an inch. With another cry, Michael did his ninja routine again, then ran over to the Christmas tree and began to check out all the packages underneath it.

Reva poured two mugs of hot cider and handed them to Pam and Willow, who sat near the fireplace. As she picked up her own mug, she turned on the radio.

“Silent Night” began to play softly.

Reva started to turn the radio off. Then she changed her mind. Everything is all right now, she reminded herself. You can’t let a Christmas song give you nightmares anymore.

“I can’t believe it’s Christmas Eve already,” Pam declared. “With everything that’s happened, I almost forgot about Christmas.”

Willow laughed. “Not me. We get two days off from work. I’d never forget something like that!”

Reva sat down in one of the wing chairs and sipped some cider. “I still don’t see why you don’t quit that horrible job.”

“Simple.” Laughing again, Willow tossed her head and her fake-diamond nose stud glittered in the firelight. “We need the money.”

“Willow is right. With the scarf show canceled, we both have to work.” Pam grinned. “But once our design company gets off the ground, we’ll kiss the Acme Insurance Company good-bye!”

Reva smiled back. The scarf show was history. But her father had decided to stock some of Pam’s and Willow’s other designs year-round.

Vests, more scarves, even a few dresses would be in the Dalby department stores as fast as Pam and Willow could get them ready.

And they’d be marketed under the PAM-WILLOW label.

Reva felt glad for them. But even though she didn’t have anything to do with the company, she still thought Reva Wear was a much catchier name. But forced herself to keep her mouth shut about it.

It was Christmas Eve, after all.

“Hey, Reva!” Michael called out, holding up a large package wrapped in red paper. “This one is for me!”

“Don’t shake it,” Reva warned him. “And don’t try to peek through the wrapping paper, either. You can open it tomorrow.”

Michael slowly set the package down, looking disappointed. Then he jumped up and raced toward the couch, aiming his foot for another ninja kick.

“Haiee-yahh!”

The couch slid forward another half inch.

“Isn’t it going to scratch the floor?” Pam asked. “Maybe he should stop.”

“Oh, let him do it,” Reva told her. “Sometimes it’s nice to have a ninja around.”

“Right,” Willow agreed. “Too bad he wasn’t there when Grant attacked Ellie. And tried to kill you, Reva.”

“I didn’t need a ninja that night. I had Pam,” Reva replied, turning to her cousin. “Thanks again, Pam. You saved my life.”

Pam fiddled with her ponytail, looking embarrassed. “Actually, I didn’t save your life,” she said. “The green scarf did.”

“I guess you’re right.” Reva laughed. “Grant didn’t stand a chance with it tied around his ankles. It was really well-made.” She sipped some cider and leaned back in her chair. “You know, I’m thinking of buying one for myself. Any idea where I can get it?”

“You don’t have to buy one.” Pam went to the Christmas tree and picked up a box wrapped in shiny green foil. She held out the box to Reva and grinned. “Guess what I’m giving you for Christmas?”

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20